San Francisco Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval was removed from Friday night’s exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics after aggravating his right (throwing) elbow, the San Jose Mercury News reports.

“He said there was a little discomfort, so we shut him down,” manager Bruce Bochy told the newspaper

Pablo Sandoval is dealing with more injury issues as the 2013 baseball season is just days away. (AP Photo)

As a result, Sandoval’s status for Monday’s opening-day matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers is in question.

Sandoval has battled elbow discomfort much of this month and recently was shut down for several days after the injury resulted in numbness in his right hand. An MRI exam revealed an inflamed ulnar nerve and a bone spur in the elbow.

Sandoval recently commented that he believed the issue was behind him, but he now is a candidate for the disabled list.

In 108 games last season, Sandoval hit .283/.342/.447 with 12 homers and 63 RBIs. It was the second consecutive season in which he failed to play in 120 games because of injuries.

Sandoval was a postseason hero during the team’s march to a second World Series championship in the past three seasons in 2012. He hit .364 with 13 RBIs and six homers, including three in Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers.